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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26769949">Steele Holding Back</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzedbee20/pseuds/buzzedbee20'>buzzedbee20</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>RS Appreciaton Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Remington Steele (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>2x11, F/M, Favorite Case, Hurt Steele, RS Appreciation Week Day 2, Steele Eligible, Steele and Laura need to talk, and maybe a little stream of consciousness?, emotional angst, honestly its 5am i have no idea, they never talk and that is literally the whole problem</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:42:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>446</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26769949</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzedbee20/pseuds/buzzedbee20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Steele tries to make sense of the pain in his leg, and the pain in his heart.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Laura Holt/Remington Steele</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>RS Appreciaton Week 2020 [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Steele Holding Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Another fic that was something, and...is...this. Idk but I think it ends up making some type of sense in the end (I hope?). Also I think all of these fics are 'Steele' named  but I wont apologize. It is what it is!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>She’s so close but so very very far away. Of course he would think; how couldn’t he think that she’d suddenly flipped on him and slept with someone else? Especially after Millicent. The murderous owlette insinuating herself between him and Laura, doing what he told Mildred he’d never intended, and hurting her. </p>
<p>He used to think nothing about the ice queen act was appealing. But on Laura, it was just another piece of infuriatingly alluring wrapping paper he would have to peel back to get to the true woman inside. </p>
<p>He knew she was nervous about this case. He was after all, an eligible bachelor. He had hoped his comment about a woman he could ‘work and play with’ would land. It seemed to, if her reaction was anything to go by. </p>
<p>But now, he was shut in the house with no Laura by his side. He’d only had bits and pieces of his time in the hospital, but he remembered Laura. </p>
<p>The intimate moment he shared with her, and her promise to take care of him, before everything else was the nightmare of Millicent. </p>
<p>When he tried to make sense of it with her, she was unforgiving, though seemed not to fault him for anything else, after his other leg was broken. He couldn’t even crutch himself around at this point, and would be confined to bed for the next two weeks, even needing help to get to the bathroom. </p>
<p>The indignity of it all stung severely. Of course, Mildred had offered to help, to be his live-in nurse, but he refused. </p>
<p>She looked up to him, in a way, and was a caregiver in another. He wouldn’t put her in that position. No, instead they’d hired a nursing service, and Laura promised she would stop by on occasion, to keep him updated on the company business. </p>
<p>It wasn’t enough, but of course, his legs couldn’t be unbroken. She was contrite at the fact that she caused his state of invalidity, and he played it up only for appearances. He truly was hurting. </p>
<p>To think, always on the run, never getting hurt too badly, and escaping sickness, only to be laid low by major injury the moment he had settled into a life. </p>
<p>He wasn’t in the best state mentally, he could admit that. Maybe, it was easier to think that Laura would betray him, rather than the thought that truly struck fear into his heart; that she was no longer interested. </p>
<p>Better to push her away himself, then allow his heart to be broken. Instead of admitting he was scared, he’d brood. </p>
<p>He’d keep her far away, and protect his heart in the process.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>6/9. When I eventually write my chronic pain!Steele fic, I may use parts of this in the world-build. The man has broken his leg 4 times over the course of the series. 4! It strains credulity and I, as a hurt/comfort reader do not have enough broken leg fic. Gonna fix that too.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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